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Life on Mars?
}} "Life on Mars?" is a song by David Bowie first released in 1971 on the album Hunky Dory and also released as a single. The song—which BBC Radio 2 later called "a cross between a Broadway musical and a Salvador Dalí painting"Sold on Song: "Life on Mars" from the BBC Radio 2 website—featured guest piano work by keyboardist Rick Wakeman. When released as a single in 1973, it reached #3 in the UK and stayed on the chart for thirteen weeks. The song re-entered the UK charts at #55 over 30 years later, largely because of its use in the original British television series Life on Mars. Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph ranked it as #1 in his 100 Greatest Songs of All Time list.Link to the List of 100 Greatest Songs by Neil McCormick.100 Greatest Songs of All Time: 25 - 1 He also commented on the song: Origins In 1968 Bowie wrote the lyrics "Even a Fool Learns to Love", set to the music of a 1967 French song "Comme d'habitude", composed by Claude François and Jacques Revaux. Bowie's version was never released, but Paul Anka bought the rights to the original French version, and rewrote it into "My Way," made famous by Frank Sinatra in a 1969 recording on his album of the same name. The success of the Anka version prompted Bowie to write "Life on Mars?" as a parody of Sinatra's recording. In notes for a Bowie compilation CD that accompanied a June 2008 issue of The Mail on Sunday,DAVID BOWIE: I went to buy some shoes - and I came back with "Life On Mars" from The Mail on Sunday Bowie described how he wrote the song: Bowie noted that Wakeman "embellished the piano part" of his original melody and guitarist Mick Ronson "created one of his first and best string parts" for the song. The liner notes for Hunky Dory indicate that the song was 'inspired by Frankie'. One reviewer suggested the song was written after "a brief and painful affair" with actress Hermione Farthingale. While on tour in 1990, Bowie introduced the song by saying "You fall in love, you write a love song. This is a love song.""Bowie: Boys Keep Swinging," Melody Maker magazine, 24 March 1990, pp 24-26 Lyrics BBC Radio has described "Life on Mars?" as having "one of the strangest lyrics ever" consisting of a "slew of surreal images" like a Salvador Dalí painting. The line "Look at those cavemen go" is a reference to the song "Alley Oop", a one-off hit in 1960 for American doo-wop band The Hollywood Argyles. Bowie, at the time of Hunky Dory's release in 1971, summed up the song as "A sensitive young girl's reaction to the media". In 1997 he added "I think she finds herself disappointed with reality ... that although she's living in the doldrums of reality, she's being told that there's a far greater life somewhere, and she's bitterly disappointed that she doesn't have access to it". Music video Mick Rock filmed and directed a promotional video for this song backstage at Earls Court on 12 May 1973 to accompany the release of the song as a single. It featured Bowie in a turquoise suit performing the song solo against a white backdrop. It was David Bowie's fourth music video. Covers In 1974, Barbra Streisand released a version of the song on her album ButterFly. In a 1976 Playboy interview, Bowie was asked what he thought of her cover: "Bloody awful. Sorry, Barb, but it was atrocious."Bowie, David, Playboy magazine, September 1976, http://www.theuncool.com/journalism/david-bowie-playboy-magazine/ The song has also been covered by Italian artist L'Aura, Australian rock vocalist Mig Ayesa, Finnish singer-songwriter Hector, American pop musician Michelle Branch, and Brazilian singer Seu Jorge (on the soundtrack of the film The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou). The Flaming Lips did a live cover in 1992 which later appeared on the single "This Here Giraffe". The song has been played many times in concert by the American jam band Phish (with keyboardist Page McConnell and guitarist Trey Anastasio sharing vocals) - most heavily in 1995 and 1996, but most recently on 29 June 2012 in Noblesville, Indiana. Anggun covered the song on her first international debut album, Snow on the Sahara (1998), and issued it as a promotional single. A version by Arid lead singer Jasper Steverlinck and the Kolacny Brothers reached number one in the Belgian charts in 2002. Jazz trio The Bad Plus covered the song on their 2007 album Prog. The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain perform it intertwined with "My Way" and "For Once in My Life" among others. In 2009, Japanese rock band VAMPS released a cover as a B-side on their third single, "Evanescent". Anni-Frid Lyngstad, who achieved international success as one of the members of ABBA, recorded a Swedish version titled "Liv på Mars?" (with Swedish lyrics by Owe Junsjö), included on her 1975 solo album Frida ensam. Steve Hogarth covered the song on the Live Spirit, Live Body album. Yann Tiersen played this song with Neil Hannon on 2 December 1998 as the opening act of the Rencontres Trans Musicales. The concert was recorded and then labeled as his first live album; Black Session. The Dresden Dolls cover the song on the album .2 Contamination: A Tribute to David Bowie (2008).class=album|id=r1383622|pure_url=yes}} .2 Contamination_ A Tribute to David Bowie — Various Artists at AllMusic G4, runners up in British The X Factor in its first series released it as a single in 2005 from their debut self-titled album G4. . In 2010, Keren Ann recorded a version for We Were So Turned On: A Tribute to David Bowie. A cover was done by the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain in 2010 In 2013, Patrick Stump coverd the song in BBC radio 1. In popular culture The BBC television drama Life on Mars, featuring John Simm and Philip Glenister, used both the name and the song itself as its basis. The song was used extensively throughout both series of the programme, and also of its spin-off, Ashes to Ashes. The song was used also in the American version of the TV series. In the British television show Doctor Who, there is a space station on Mars named "Bowie Base One" in the episode "The Waters of Mars". The original soundtrack of Lars von Trier's 1996 movie Breaking the Waves features "Life on Mars?" during the epilogue, although the song was replaced by Elton John's "Your Song" on the international DVD release for copyright reasons.http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/dvdcompare3/breakingthewaves.htm Green Day singer Billie Joe Armstrong has said that he would like either "Life on Mars?" or "Take This Job and Shove It" by Johnny Paycheck played at his funeral.https://archive.is/20120708203022/img94.imageshack.us/img94/2148/34eed9cdd9a2.jpg "Life on Mars?" is included on the soundtrack to the 2004 film The Life Aquatic, starring Bill Murray as Steve Zissou. The song is played as Murray walks to the bow of his boat in solitude as a party continues below deck. Track listing All songs written by David Bowie: # "Life on Mars?" – 3:48 # "The Man Who Sold the World" – 3:55 The Portuguese release of the single had "Black Country Rock" as the B-side. Charts Production credits ;Producers: * Ken Scott on "Life on Mars?" * Tony Visconti on "The Man Who Sold the World" ;Musicians: * David Bowie: vocals, guitar * Mick Ronson: guitar * Trevor Bolder: bass on "Life On Mars?" * Tony Visconti: bass on "The Man Who Sold the World/Black Country Rock", piano on "Black Country Rock" * Mick Woodmansey: drums * Rick Wakeman: piano on "Life on Mars?" * Ralph Mace: Moog synthesizer on "The Man Who Sold The World" Notes References *Pegg, Nicholas, The Complete David Bowie, Reynolds & Hearn Ltd, 2000, ISBN 1-903111-14-5 External links * Category:1973 singles Category:David Bowie songs Category:Glam rock songs Category:Songs written by David Bowie Category:Rock ballads Category:The Flaming Lips songs Category:Barbra Streisand songs Category:Song recordings produced by Ken Scott Category:Song recordings produced by David Bowie Category:G4 (band) songs